Marietta-based nonprofit Youth Empowerment through Learning, Leading, and Serving, Inc. (YELLS) is proving that young Georgians are fully capable of affecting change in their communities.
The group provides afterschool programs, mentorship, and service learning to area youth from kindergarten all the way through high school, and teaches them how to advocate for the needs of their community and assert themselves as local leaders.
YELLS scored a major win when the city of Marietta announced a partnership with Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports and Entertainment to build its team headquarters for its recently-announced National Women’s Soccer League franchise on Franklin Gateway. As part of that deal, AMBSE handed over to the city a 10-acre plot of land that will be designated for community benefit. Members of YELLS had advocated for the deal for months, speaking at city council meetings, collecting citizen feedback, and even hosting their own town hall that connected citizens to local officials.
“We are incredibly proud of our young changemakers for showing up, sharing their vision, and advocating for their community,” said YELLS Executive Director Laura Keefe. “This milestone reflects what is possible when young people are equipped with the skills, confidence, and platform to lead.”
The group also recently launched its ‘Invest Today. Change Tomorrow’ campaign, which seeks to raise money to fill the gap left by cutbacks in federal funding for nonprofits. It calls on individual and corporate supporters to help support local youth as they grow into the leaders of tomorrow.
“Our work has always been about investing in people and in their potential, their voice, and their ability to lead,” said Keefe. “This campaign is a call to action for our community to come alongside our youth and help create opportunities that will shape not only their futures, but the future of our communities.”
You can learn more about YELLS and how to get involved HERE
